Among the adult population of the US it is now estimated that over 60 percent are overweight or obese, and the prevalence of childhood obesity is increasing at a staggering rate. The Department of Health and Human Services has ranked obesity among the most significant public health threats/burdens of the twenty-first century. To date efforts at prevention and treatment for obesity have met with mixed success, undoubtedly reflecting the underlying heterogeneity in its origin and expression. Therefore, given the multitude of factors impacting body weight regulation, patterns of lipid deposition, and adipose tissue function and their impact on metabolic and disease processes, it is critical for the field of obesity research to seek an integrative perspective in order to better understand the intricate interplay between genetics, behavior, and the external environment in order to identify the most productive avenues of treatment and prevention. While there are many conferences on obesity and its associated co-morbidities, few take such an integrative approach bringing together such topics in a vertically integrated format. In order to develop effective methods of prevention and treatment for obesity and its associated co-morbidities it is incumbent that we understand all aspects of the contributing factors, and their interactions, to the development of obesity. Therefore, the objective of the proposed conference is to provide an opportunity for researchers working on the various facets of obesity to interact and initiate a dialogue in an effort to encourage increased interaction and collaboration from a more integrated perspective. PROGRAM NARRATIVE: Among the adult population of the US it is now estimated that over 60 percent are overweight or obese, and the prevalence of childhood obesity is increasing at a staggering rate. The Department of Health and Human Services has ranked obesity among the most significant public health threats/burdens of the twenty-first century. To date efforts at prevention and treatment for obesity have met with mixed success, undoubtedly reflecting the underlying heterogeneity in its origin and expression. Therefore, given the multitude of factors impacting body weight regulation, patterns of lipid deposition, and adipose tissue function and their impact on metabolic and disease processes, it is critical for the field of obesity research t seek an integrative perspective in order to better understand the intricate interplay between genetics, behavior, and the external environment in order to identify the most productive avenues of treatment and prevention. While there are many conferences on obesity and its associated co-morbidities, few take such an integrative approach bringing together such topics in a vertically integrated format. In order to develop effective methods of prevention and treatment for obesity and its associated co-morbidities it is incumbent that we understand all aspects of the contributing factors, and their interactions, to the development of obesity. Therefore, the objective of the proposed conference is to provide an opportunity for researchers working on the various facets of obesity to interact and initiate a dialogue in an effort to encourage increased interaction and collaboration from a more integrated perspective.